Protective mouthpiece



y 6, 195 v H. M. ROSS 2,833,278

PROTECTIVE MOUTHPIECE Filed April 5, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 y 6, 1958 H. M. ROSS 2,833,278

PROTECTIVE MOUTHP'IECE Filed April s, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 j mv/d 17%.?056, @WM g M% Rverz 07:

United States Patent 2,833,278 PROTECTIVE MOUTI-IPIECE Harold M. Ross, Chicago, Ill.

Application April 5, 1956, Serial No. 576,448

4 Claims. (Cl. 128-136) This invention relates to protective mouthpieces for preventing injury to the user.

The unfused thixotropic plastisol compositions employed in forming my protective mouthpieces may be readily shaped in the users mouth without necessitating the prior application of either heated or chilled media. These compositions enable an accurate impression of the teeth to be formed therein and may be fused (e. g., hardened to a resilient mass capable of retaining its shape and protecting the user against injury when properly shaped and positioned in the mouth) in a relatively short period of time in a heated environment or medium such as exemplified by boiling water.

The unfused, as well as fused, thixotropic plastisol compositions employed in my invention do not have a tendency to adversely affect oral tissue and are substantially tasteless, odorless and water-resistant. When fused, the thixotropic plastisol compositions are rendered irreversible in that they will not revert back during normal usage, or when sterilized in boiling water, to the putty-like viscosity that characterizes my unfused compositions.

The term thixotropic is intended to sometimes refer to plastisolcompositions that have a viscosity, in the unfused state, similar to that of putty or modeling clay, which may be readily impressed in the users mouth to form an accurate impression of teeth, and which are capable of accurately retaining said impression without furthertreatment or modification until fusion is desired. The phrase fused thixotropic plastisol composition(s) sometimes refers to fused irreversible plastisol composition(s) that Were thixotropic while in the unfused state.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an assembly comprising a U-shaped base member positioned in a U- shaped channel; I

Figure 2 shows the assembly illustrated in Figure l filled with an unfused thixotropic plastisol composition;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the U-shaped base member; 1

Figure 4 is a sectional view along the lines 4-4- of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a sectional view, similar'to Figure 4, after the unfused thixotropic plastisol composition is shaped and fused;

Figure 6 is a perspective view of a second channel;

Figure 7 shows the channel illustrated in Figure 6 filled with an unfused thixotropic plastisol composition;

Figure 8 is asectional view along the lines 88 of Figure 7;

Figure 9 is a sectional-view, similar to Figure 8, after the unfused thixotropic plastisol composition is shaped and fused;

Figure 10 is a perspective view of a third channel;

Figure 11 is a plan view of said third channel;

Figure 12 is an elevational view of the third channel shown in Figure 11;

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Figure 13 is a sectional view along the lines 1313 of Figure 10;

Figure 14 is a sectional elevational view along the line 1414 of Figure 11;

Figure 15 is a sectional view, similar to Figure 13, of a fourth channel filled with an unfused thixotropic plastisol composition; and

Figure 16 is a sectional view, similar to Figure 15, after the unfused thixotropic plastisol composition is shaped and fused.

In preparing a protective mouthpiece, the resilient U- shaped base member 20 is positioned in U-shaped channel 2 1, as shown in Figure 1, and the confines of the channel are filled with unfused thixotropic plastisol composition 22 until the composition is contiguous with upstanding U-shaped marginal walls 23 and 24 as i1- lustrated in Figures 2 and 4. In Figures 1, 2, 4, and 5, the marginal walls 23 and 24 are shown to be substantially perpendicular to the base 26 of channel member 21.

The filled channel should be positioned in the users mouth so .that the exposed surfaces of the upper teeth are embedded in the unfused thixotropic plastisol composition and the bottom edges of the upper teeth are contiguous with the base member 20 intermediate the upstanding walls. The assembly may then be removed from the users mouth.

Once removed from the mouth, the assembly should be placed in boiling water for at least about 1-3 minutes to produce irreversible, fused thixotropic plastisol composition 25; the assembly may be cooled in cold water afterfusion has been effected in order to permit convenient handling of the assembly. Figure 5 is a sectional view, similar to Figure 4, after the unfused thixotropic plastisol composition is shaped and fused.

Base member 20 may be made of fused thixotropic plastisol composition, rubber, and the like.

The channel 21 may be made of my fused thixotropic plastisol composition, rubber, readily destructible or removable material, and the like.

When channel 21 is' made of destructible or readily removable material, such as a water-soluble polyvinyl alcohol, that will dissolve in boiling water during fusion of the thixotropic plastisol composition, the fused thixotropic plastisol composition and base member will constitute the finished protective mouthpiece.

If the user desires to use channel 21 as a component part of the finished protective mouthpiece, the channel may be made of substantially insoluble, resilient material such as rubber and my fused thixotropic plastisol composition, and the use of base member 20 may be eliminated. When the channel is made of my fused thixotropic plastisol composition, the unfused thixotropic plastisol impression composition contained therein will be firmly secured to the channel when the impression composition is fused.

If desired, the fused plastisol channel may be formed by flash-fusion. That is, my unfused thixotropic plastisol composition may be inserted into a U-shaped mold. When the interior surfaces of the mold are heated (for example, by an induction coil) the plastisol composition adjacent the heated surfaces of the mold may be selectively flashed-fused to a shape generally conforming to U-shaped channelZl. The unfused portion of the plastisol composition may then be shaped in the users mouth, removed from the mouth, and fused in boiling water.

The flashed-fused U-shaped plastisol composition will not be distorted in boiling water because of its irreversible property.

The resilient U-shaped channel 30 shown in Figure 6 may be constructed of my fused thixotropic plastisol composition, rubber, and the like and may be used to form a protective mouthpiecein conformance with the above prescribed procedure. This channel has a substantially H-shaped cross section comprising upper and lower channel sections 31 and 32, respectively, having a com mon web member 33 with a plurality of apertures 34. The U-shaped upstanding walls 35 and 36 of upper Chan nel section 31 are substantially perpendicular to the web 33 and are of a suflicient height to protect the exposed surfaces of the upper teeth; whereas U-shaped downwardly extending walls 37 and 38 of lower channel tion 32 extend about /8 inch from the web 33 and, thus, cover only the upper portions of the lower teeth.

The H-shaped cross sectional figuration of channel In) readily permits the proper centering of the upper teeth and enables the upper teeth to be retained and protected within the confines of upper channel sectionfil while the user is spealtingor withdrawing his lower teeth from the confines of lower channel section 32. The apertures 34 in the web 33 permit the unfused thixotropic plastisol composition in the upper and lowerchannel sections to be fused in place as an integral mass.

Channel 30 may be filled with my unfused thixotropic plastisol composition 22 until the composition is contiguous with the upstanding and downstanding walls, as shown in Figures 7 and 8.

After the exposed upper teeth and an upper portion of the exposed lower teeth are empressed in the unfused thixotropic plastisol composition and the assembly is removed from the users mouth, the unfused composition may be fused in boiling water to produce irreversible, fused thixotropic plastisol composition 25. Figure 9 is a sectional view, similar to Figure 8, of the finished mouthpiece.

Channel 49, shown in Figure 10, is especially adapted for use in forming a protective mouthpiece which may be used withoutirnpairing the users speech.

Channel 40 comprises two resilient, terminal channel members which have the same general construction as channel 30 shown in Figure 6; channel members 410 and 41b are connected by resilient labial band 42. These channel members form bilateral, posterior, partial mouthpieces.

Channel members 41a and 41b should be long enough to protect posterior teeth, or the space formerly occupied thereby.

Channel members 41a and 41b may be made of my fused thixotropic plastisol composition, rubber, and the like, and may be used to form a protective'mouthpiece in accordance with the above described procedure. The channel members. have a substantially H-shaped cross section comprising upper channel sections 43a and 43b and lower channel sections 44a and 44b, having a common web member 45a and 4512 with a plurality of apertures 46a and 46b. Upstanding walls 47a, 47b, 48a and 48b of upper channel sections 43a and 43b are of sufficient height to protect the exposed surfaces of the teeth which are to be confined therein; whereas the downwardly extending walls, such as walls 49a, 49b, 50a and 501) shown in Figures 10 and 13, of each of the lower channel sections extend about Vs inch from the. web member and, thus, only protect an upper portion of the lower posterior teeth. The channel members are connected to each other by resilient band 42 which is secured to upstanding walls 47a, 47b, 48a and 48b, as shown in Figures 10 and 11.

Figure 12 is an elevation view of Figure 11.

Figure 13 is a sectional view along the lines 13-43 of Figure 10. The broken lines in the upper channel section 43b indicate the intended location of the unfused thixotropic plastisol composition 22; composition 22 may also be placed in the lower channel section 46b.

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The labial band should be of sutficient height to cover I a major portion but, preferably, not all of the front surfaces of the upper anterior teeth. Band 42 covers about /8 of the upper exposed surfaces of the upper front teeth.

Figure .14 is a sectional elevation view on the line 14-14 of Figure 11 of the protective mouthpiece.

Figure 15 is a sectional view, similar to Figure 13, of a shaped angle member formed by walls 61 and 62, which will hereinafter be referred to as channel 60. The channel is formed by walls 61 and 62 which are secured to each other at an angle. Unfused thixotropic plastisol composition 22 may be placed in the channel as shown in Figure 15, shaped, and fused in the manner previously described to produce the protectivemou-thpiece shown in Figure l6.

A T-shaped channel may also be used in forming a protective mouthpiece. Such a channel would resemble the previously described H-shaped channel with the exception that an upstanding wall and downwardly extending wall would be omitted; the omission of Walls 36 and 3% from the web 33 would result in such a channel.

A suitable stabilized, unfuscd thixotropic plastisol composition may be produced by the method illustrated by the following example. it will be understood that the example is for the purpose of illustration only and that my invention is not limited thereto.

Example Four parts by weight of a thixotroping agent such as Thixcin (hydrogenated castor oil powder having a melting point of about C., a density of 8.24 lbs. per solid gallon at 25 -C.. a bulking ra-te value of 0.121 gallon per pound, and 96% of which is capable of passing through a 325 mesh screen), which is distributed by Baker Castor Oil Company, is added to about 94 parts by weight of dipropylene glycol dibenzoate until the thixotroping agent has been dispersed and the dipropylene glycol dibenzoate and thixotropic plasticizerf have become thixotropic. A dispersing agent such as one part by weight of Sotex CW, distributed by Synthetic Chemicals, Inc, may be added in order to promote the dispersing of the thixotroping agent. a

If desired, a stabilizer capable of eifectively tying-up HCl that may be liberated may also be added to and mixed with the thixotropic plastisol composition. For example, one part by weight of stabilizer Marx XX, which is distributed by Argus Chemical Laboratories, may be used.

Eighty parts by weight of vinyl chloridewinyl acetate c-opolymer such as exemplified by Vinylite VYCM which is produced by Carbide and Carbon Chemicals Corporation and, if desired, a suitable pigment may then be added to and dispersed with the thixotropic plastisol-stabilizer blend until a uniform base of a stabilized, fusible, thixotropic plastisol composition is formed having a putty-like consistency.

As the relative proportion of the vinyl chloride-vinyl acetate copolymer is increased, the fused thixotropic plasitsol composition has a tendency to become more rigid; conversely, if the relative proportion of the copolymer is decreased, the fused thixotropic plastisol composition becomes more resilient and/ or flexible. The proportion of thixotroping agent may be increased, if desired, to induce rigidity or body to the unfused thixotropic plastisol composition.

The unfused thixotropic plastisol composition may be fused in boiling watcror water which has been heated approximately to its boiling point.

If desired, a suitable unfused thixotropic plastisol composition may be prepared by admixing approximately equal proportions of the dipropylene glycol dibenzoate and the above-identified Vinylite. This permits the omission of a thixotroping agent, stabilizer, and dispersing agent. i

The foregoingdetailed description has been given for clearness of understanding only, and no unnecessary limitations should be understood therefrom, as modifications will be obvious to those skilled in the art.

I claim: 7

1. A protective mouthpiece comprising two resilient, bilateral, posterior, partial mouthpieces connected by a flexible labial band, each of said partial mouthpieces formed by a channel having upper and lower channel sections formed by at least one upstanding wall and at least one downwardly extending wall projecting from a web member, said web member serving to divide said channels into upper and lower channel sections, said channel sections containing an unfused thixotropic plastisol impression composition, said composition being capable of being readily shaped in themouth to form an accurate impression of teeth, removed from the mouth and still retain said impression until fusion is desired, and fused and rendered irreversible in heated water.

2. A protective mouthpiece comprising two resilient, bilaterial, posterior, partial mouthpieces connected by a flexible labial band, each of said partial mouthpieces formed by a channel having upper and lower channel sections formed by at least one upstanding Wall projecting from a web member having at least one aperture therein, said web member serving to divide each of said channels into upper and lower channel sections, said channel sections containing an integral mass of unfused thixotropic plastisol impression composition which extends through an aperture in the web member, said composition being capable of being readily shaped in the mouth to form an accurate impression of teeth, removed from the mouth and still retain said impression until fusion is desired, fused and rendered irreversible in heated water.

3. A protective mouthpiece comprising two resilient, bilateral, posterior, partial mouthpieces connected by a flexible labial band, each of said partial mouthpieces formed by a channel having upper and lower channel sections formed by at least one upstanding wall and at least one downwardly extending wall projecting from a web member, said web member serving to divide said channels 'into upper and lower channel sections, said channel sections containing a fused irreversible plastisol composition, said composition having accurate impression of teeth therein.

4. A protective mouthpiece comprising two resilient, bilateral, posterior, partial mouthpieces connected by a flexible labial band, each of said partial mouthpieces formed by a channel having upper and lower channel sections formed by at least one upstanding wall projecting from a web member having at least one aperture therein, said web member serving to divide each of said channels into upper and lower channel sections, said channel sections containing an integral mass of a fused irreversible plastisol composition which extends through an aperture in the web member, said composition having accurate impression of teeth therein.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,590,118 Oddo Mar. 25, 1952 2,685,133 Green et al Aug. 3, 1954 2,685,134 Thompson Aug. 3, 1954 2,702,032 Freedland Feb. 15, 1955 2,705,492 Chandler Apr. 5, 1955 2,706,478 Porter Apr. 19,1955 2,750,941 Cathcart June 19, 1956 U. S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Column 5, line 14 ,1 for bfLllaierial read -bilateral-m Signed and sealed this 1st day of July 1958.

(SEAL) Atfiest: KARL H AXIIINE ROBERT C. WATSON Attesting Officer Comnissioner of Patents 

